Men’s tennis drops a close one to Gardner-Webb

A day after picking up its first victory of the season against the Presbyterian Blue Hose, Georgia State men’s tennis suffered its second defeat of the 2015 campaign with a 4-3 loss to the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs.

Singles

The first final of singles competition came when the Panthers’ Janis Koeke topped the Bulldogs’ Kazsas Benjamin in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. Zack Kennedy also notched a victory over Gardner Webb’s Nikita Zverkov, 6-3, 6-2.

Gardner-Webb would come out on top in the last four singles matches. The Bulldogs’ first victory came when Yaroslav Prostakov defeated Georgia State’s Sebastian Acuna in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Gardner-Webb’s Brendan Dempsey earned a 6-3, 6-2 win against Valentin Horvat.

Korhan Ates of the Bulldogs defeated the Panthers’ Joseph Bishop, 6-1, 6-4. Sofiane Chevallier won a set against Gardner-Webb’s Ernest Alberch, but was defeated in the final singles match of the night, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6.

Doubles

All three doubles matches went to the Panthers. The initial doubles match saw Chevallier and Kennedy earn a 6-1 win over Zverkov and Prostakov. Acuna and Koeke defeated Kaszas and Alberch, 6-1, in the second doubles final of the day. Horvat and Bishop were also victorious over the Bulldogs’ Ates and Dempsey, 3-2.

The Panthers’ next match will take place on Jan. 31 vs. Troy at 6 p.m. from the Atlanta Athletic Club.